Sectional boat



sept- 1953 B. SOMMER 2,650,376

SECTIONAL BOAT Filed Feb. 7, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 1953 B. L. SOMMER 2650,37 6

SECTIONAL BQAT Filed Feb. 7, 1950 "2 "sheets-Sneeze Patentecl Sept. 1 1953 UNITED STATES TENT OFFICE SECTIONAL BOAT Benjamin L. Summer, Evanston, Ill.

Application February 7, 1950, Serial No. 142,783

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved sectional boat, and more particularly to a boat formed of a plurality of sections adapted to be interlocked for use and separa ed and ne d f transportation.

Sectional boats have heretofore been designed in various forms with different types of interlocking members on the meeting portions of the several sections. In the present construction, the interlocking and connecting means are all within the contour of the completed boat so that the outer surface of the boat is free from obstructions and the general appearance is that of a unitary boat.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved sectional boat with efiective means for interlocking the sections.

It is a further object t provide a boat of this type in which less than the full number of sootions m y be perated if desir d or in an emergency.

It is an additional object to provide a boat made up of sections having interlocking flanges on the meeting edges of the sections, the flanges being interlocking or separated by a twisting or rotary movement, together with means for locking associated sections against su h twisting movement.

It is also an object to provide a boat in whieh separate sections are in part held together by removable members which also function as seats.

It is another object to provide a sectional boat with means for effectively closing intermediate section ends in the event of damage or leakage into adjacent sect-ions or if it is desired to use a smaller boat.

It is a further object to provide a boat of this character which is simple in design and construction andadapted for commercial production and use.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

I have shown certain preferred embodiments .of my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an exploded perspective of the boat;

Figure 2 is a perspective showing the nested sections;

Fi ur 3 is a f a m ary plan v ew showin two sections connected;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 5-4 of Figure 3;

Fi ur 5 is a raementarvs ot n ta e on li .5.5 of Fig re A;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view, showing means closing the end of an intermediate section;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section taken on line 1-7-1 of Figure 6;;

Figure 8 is a separated view showing two nating end faces; and

Figure ,9 is an elevation showin the method of assembling two sections.

The boat shown in the drawings consists of five sections, but it will be understood that other numbers of sections may be provided and different numbers of sections may be used to make up smaller or larger boats, as desired.

As shown in Figure l, the boat comprises a center section II, a forward intermediate vsection 12, a rearward intermediate section 1.4, a how section it and a stern section it. The bow section It has a pointed forward end 2.0, as is usual in boat design, and a central reinforcement 2|, which may be considered an inner keel as is u tom ry in b t cons ruct on- The rear Wa 23 of h how section it is notch d down, a shown at 24, thus providing short vertical Wel s 25 and 26 at ea h end of the notched o t adjac nt th s d s o th bo t. 'lh tarboar half of the rea face of h r ar wal s ro- .vided with an utwa dly facin fla e 2 Th port half of this wa l i ro ide with an i w d y facin flange .353.

The f wa d n erm diat s c io it; s p ovi d w th t c ntra n in membe 3. an its. fo w rd Wal as is n t h d i t a manne as the rear wall 23 of the forward section, The starboard half of this wall is provided with an inwardly facing flange 35. The port half of this wall is provided with a similar outwardly facing flange 37. The rear wall fill of section It is notched downwardly, as are the other walls, and its starboard half has the outwardly directed flange 43, while the port side of the wail has the inwardly directed flange 4-5.

The middle section H is provided with the forward wall 4! and rear wall 48. The starboard ,side of wall 4] is provided with the inwardly facing flange v50, while the port side or that wall is provided with the outwardly facing flange 52. Thi s on i a vid d wi h the e for in mem r 54 ex e d n tu inal y n ts bo tom. The rear wall 48 of section I I has its starboard side provided with the outwardly directed flange 56 and its port side provided with the inwardly directed flange 51. The rear intermediate section i4 is provided with the forward wall 60, the rearward wall 52 and the central bottom reinforcing member 63. The forward wall 160 is provided, on its starboard side with the inwardly facing flange 65 and, on its port side, with the outwardly facing flange 61. The rear wall 62 is provided, on its starboard side, with the outwardly facing flange 69 and, on its port side, with the inwardly: facing flange Ill. The stern section i8 is provided with a flat stern wall '12 and with a forward flanged wall 14. The stern wall 12 extends to its full height for its entire width, while the forward wall 74 is notched down, as are all other intermediate walls. This stern section It is also provided with the usual center reinforcing member 15. The outer face of the forward wall 14 is provided, on its starboard side, with the inwardly facing flange 11 and, on its port side, with the outwardly facing flange 19. Each sectional rear wall which mates with another width than the notched down portions of the end walls. In the event that it is desired to use 7 a smaller boat than all five sections or, in the wall, that is Walls 23, 4!, 48 and 62, is provided? at its lower central portion with an outwardly projecting pivot stud 39 which is cylindrical in" shape. Such a stud 39 is shown in Figure 4, projecting from wall 48.

In order that the sections may be suitably nested for storage, their dimensions as to length and width must be carefully coordinated. In the example shown, the intermediate section II is longer than any of the other sections of the boat. In nesting the sections, the forward intermediate section [2 may be placed inside of the section l l, as shown in Figure 2, being reversed in direction so that the wider rearward wall of section I2 is adjacent the wider forward wall of section H. The rear intermediate section l4 may then be placed inside of section I2, faced in its normal direction so that its wider forward wall 59 is adjacent the wider rear wall 4| of section E2. The

rear or stern section I8 may then be placed in section M with the forward wall 14 of section [8 adjacent the rear wall 4| of the section 12. Finally, the bow section It is placed within the stern section l8, the rear wall 23 of the bow section being located adjacent the forward wall 14 of the stern section.

The sections are all shown with lateral reinforcing members 82, and it will be understood that the particular location and relationship of these and any additional reinforcing members may vary without departing from the invention. The boat sections are preferably integrally cast from aluminum or magnesium alloys, but it will be understood that they may be made of any metal by welding or riveting or otherwise securing metal elements together. Also, various parts of the boat may be made of plywood or similar material.

Separate seat members or securing members 84 are provided to fit over each adjacent pair of walls when they are in interfitted relation. Such a seat section is shown in Figures 3 and 4. This section 84 is shown with upwardly extending angle irons 85 which are provided with holes to receive bolts 87 which pass through perforations 83 in the end walls of adjacent sections to hold the seat section 84 in place and, also, to hold the end walls in intimate contact and to restrain them against relative rotation. Portions v of the under side of the seat member 84 are reduced in thickness, as indicated by the broken 1 lines 86 in Figure 3.

The manner in which the mating flanges on 1 the intermediate wall sections are located is continuous side and bottom walls 90 and 9|.

.The outwardly facing flange 61 interlocks with the inwardly facing flange 51.

event that any section becomes damaged so as to leak water and it is'desired to cut it off from the rest of the boat, the seat section 84 may be set vertically, as shown in Figures 6 and '7. The offset securing members 51 at each end of the section are provided with perforations which receive bolts 95, as best shown in Figure 6, thus securing the seat section vertically and completely filling the cut-away portion of the end wall. The bolts 99 also pass through perforations 98 in the angle irons 85 and through the same perforations 83 in the boat sections as are used for bolts 8! in Figures 3 and 4. The portions of reduced thickness of the seat 84, indicated by lines 86 in Figure 3, provide flanges 106 of reduced thickness at the sides in Figure 6 and a similar flange H3? at the bottom of member 84 in Figure 7.

The method of assembling the sections will be apparent from consideration of the construction as shown in Figures 8 and 9. If, for example, the wall at the right of Figure 8 be taken as the rear wall 4! of the forward intermediate section, its starboard side has the outwardly facing flange 43, while its port side has the inwardly facing flange 45. The mating end wall 41 of the intermediate section II has, on its port side, the outwardly facing flange 52 which mates with the corresponding inwardly facing flange 45. Its starboard side has the inwardly facing flange 50 which mates with the flange 43 on end section 4!. The pivot stud 39 fits into the recess I00 formed between adjacent edges of flanges 50 and 52. When the two sections are brought together while relatively tilted, as shown in Figure 9, the ends of flanges 43 and 45 which are cut away, as shown at I42 and 103, permit the parts to be placed in this position by a longitudinal movement bringing the two sections together. After the parts reach this position, as shown in Figure 9, a movement of the section i2 and its end wall 41 in the counter-clockwise direction about the stud 39 as a pivot will bring the sections into exact alignment and registration. This movement will bring the outwardly facing flange 52 interlocked within the inward- 1y facing flange 45 and will, similarly, bring the outwardly facing flange 43 into interlocking relationship with the inwardly facing flange 50.

When the seat section 84 is placed in the notch or recess and the securing bolts put through the two ends and the angles 85, the parts will be rigidly secured together. It will be understood that the space between the adjacent end walls is not water-tight and that the depth of the notches in the mating walls should be shallow enough to provide ample freeboard for the top surfaces of the mating walls. The seat section 84, when placed vertically, also is not entirely water-tight and its main function is to provide against water splashing into the boat, while it has the additional function of providing the support for an outboard motor if such is to be applied to the rear of an intermediate section in use as the stem. 7 V

While I have shown certain preferred embodiments of my invention, they are to be understood to be illustrative only as I contemplate such modifications as come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sectional boat comprising a plurality of sections having interlocking means on the meeting surfaces, said means comprising interlocking flanges, the flanges on one side of the vertical center line of the cross-section of a section facing outwardly of the boat and the flanges on the opposite side of the boat facing inwardly whereby said flanges on adjacent sections may be interlocked and freed by relative rotation between the sections.

2. A sectional boat comprising a plurality of sections having interlocking means on the meeting surfaces, said means comprising interlocking flanges, the flanges on one side of the vertical center line of the cross-section of a section facing outwardly of the boat, the flanges on the opposite side of the boat facing inwardly whereby said flanges on adjacent sections may be interlocked and freed by relative rotation between the sections, and interfltting pivot means on the sections to guide said relative rotation.

3. A sectional boat comprising a plurality of sections having interlocking means on the meeting surfaces, said means comprising interlocking flanges, the flanges on one side of the vertical center line of the cross section of a section facing outwardly of the boat, the flanges on the opposite of the section facing inwardly, a pivot pin on one section fitting into a socket on the other section, said pin and socket being located at the lower portion of the central vertical axis of the cross section of the boat and serving as an axis of rotation of the sections relative to each other to interlock and to free the flanges and means for locking the sections against relative rotation.

4. A sectional boat comprising a plurality of sections, said sections having certain end walls adapted to engage and to match a similar wall of another section, said matching end walls having portions downwardly notched from their upper edges, and seat members adapted to fit in said notched portions of a pair of engaging end walls, said seat members being of a size to completely fill such notched portions when placed in the plane of an end wall, and means for securing each seat member selectively horizontally in the notched portions of a pair of engaging end walls or in the plane of a free end wall to close the notched portion of said wall and form part of an end of the sectional boat.

BENJAMIN L. SOMMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,263,410 Haskell Apr. 23, 1918 1,901,545 Wood Mar. 14, 1933 2,040,373 Green May 12, 1936 2,212,088 Tomassi Aug. 20, 1940 2,292,972 Rice Aug. 11, 1942 2,401,453 Bell et a1. June 4, 1946 2,494,763 Jones Jan. 17, 1950 

